Sony RX100 III Announcement

Sony has also had a couple of important announcements last week. The pricing and availability for the previously announced Sony A7s mirrorless camera was finally revealed. The 12 MP Sony A7s with 4K video recording capability will be available on July 8, 2014 for a retail price of $2,498. Along with this news, Sony also announced its third iteration of the Sony RX100 point and shoot camera with a large 1″ sensor (same size sensor as on the Nikon 1 cameras). The Sony RX100 III packs great features compared to its predecessors and now comes with a high resolution pop-up electronic viewfinder. The new 8.8-25.7mm (24-70mm equivalent) Zeiss lens is now also better and faster, with a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-2.8, compared to the 10.1-37.4mm (28-100mm equivalent) f/1.8-4.9 lens on older models. More features such as a 180° flip-up LCD screen, better movie recording features and a faster processor make the RX100 III a very attractive compact camera. It will be priced at $798 and is expected to be available at the end of June, 2014.

Here is a summarized list of key specifications for the Sony RX100 III:

Sensor Resolution: 20.1 MP

Sensor Size: 1″ (13.2 x 8.8mm)

Image Resolution: 5472 x 3648

Native ISO Sensitivity: 125-12,800

Processor: BIONZ X

Lens: Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* f/1.8-2.8

Viewfinder Type: 1440k-dot OLED Tru-Finder Pop-Up EVF

Viewfinder Coverage: 100%, 0.71x

Shutter: Up to 1/2000 and 30 sec bulb exposure

Storage: 1x SD slot

Speed: Up to 10 fps at 20.1 MP

LCD Screen: 3″ TFT Tilt LCD with 1,228,800 dots

Movie Modes: 1920×1080 @ 60 fps max

WiFi: Built-in with NFC

Battery Life: 320 images (CIPA)

USB Standard: 2.0

Weight: 290g

And here is the official press release:

SAN DIEGO, May 15, 2014 – Building on its lineup of acclaimed compact cameras, Sony Electronics has introduced a new addition to its popular Cyber-shot RX series – the pocket-sized RX100 III camera. Based on the same sleek, stylish design as the existing RX100 and RX100 II models, the new RX100 III features a specially developed ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 lens and adds a built-in OLED viewfinder with ZEISS T* coating. The camera utilizes the same high-resolution 20.1 MP 1.0-type back-illuminated CMOS image sensor as the existing RX100II model, and adds the powerful BIONZ X processor featured in several high-end Sony cameras including the full-frame α7, α7R and α7S models.

“Sony continues to push the modern limits of engineering and innovation with our Cyber-shot RX family of products” said Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot business at Sony Electronics. “With the new RX100 III model, we’ve added a brighter, wider aperture lens and an impressive retractable OLED EVF, while also utilizing the latest Sony imaging technologies to boost the camera’s processing speed and efficiency. And we’ve done this without sacrificing any of the true ‘pocketability’ of our RX100 line, creating an especially unique compact camera unlike anything else in market today.”

New ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F1.8-F2.8 Lens The unique new ZEISS lens on the RX100 III camera covers the popular 24 -70mm1 focal length with a wide F1.8 – F2.8 aperture. This is particularly noteworthy at the 70mm telephoto end of the lens, where the maximum F2.8 aperture allows it to gather about twice as much light as the RX100 and RX100 II models (at 70mm), ensuring that portrait subjects can be captured against beautiful background defocus. The wide aperture also allows the lens to capture moving subjects clearly without any blur due to camera and/or subject shake.

The versatile new lens is capable of capturing dramatic landscapes or large group photos at the wide 24mm length while also boasting impressive macro shooting capabilities throughout the focal range. For example, it can still focus accurately as close as 30cm from the front of the lens (working distance) when fully extended. There’s also a built-in 3-stop (1/8) neutral density filter that adds to shooting flexibility in a wide range of outdoor conditions.

The new ZEISS lens realizes outstanding corner-to-corner sharpness, with nine total aspherical glass elements including two advanced aspherical elements that have been cemented together – a world’s first in lens manufaturing. This results in an ultra-compact physical footprint while maintaining a wide maximum angle of view. Additionally, the 24-70mm lens1 features ZEISS T* coating that minimizes flare and ghosting and a seven-blade circular aperture that enhances ‘bokeh’ background defocus.

Clear, High-Precision Built-in EVF with ZEISS T* Coating Largely based off of customer feedback on existing RX100 series cameras (RX100 and RX100II), the new RX100 III adds a versatile, high-quality OLED Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder. The EVF has an impressive 1.4 million dot resolution, adding exceptional brightness and clarity to the overall framing and viewing experience, and handily pops in and out of the top of the camera body based on shooting preferences. This allows the camera to operate in the traditional ‘rangefinder’ style without sacrificing any of its portability or compactness.

The unique new EVF also features a specially-designed eyepiece lens with ZEISS T* coating, dramatically reducing reflections that can interfere with clear viewing. The viewfinder achieves exceptional corner-to-corner clarity, and includes an eye sensor that automatically switches between viewfinder and monitor display.

Exmor R CMOS Sensor and BIONZ X Processor The powerful new RX100 III camera shares the same critically acclaimed 1.0-type back-illuminated 20.1 MP Exmor R CMOS image sensor featured in the RX100 II and RX10 cameras. With approximately four times greater image capture area than the 1/2.3 type image sensors commonly used in compact cameras, the sensor takes in significantly more light, translating into brighter, clearer images and sharper Full HD videos that capture all of the finer details of a scene.

The high-resolution sensor is paired with the evolved BIONZ X image processor introduced in the α7, α7R models this past fall. Around three times faster than the BIONZ processing engine in the RX100 and RX100 II models, it employs detail reproduction, diffraction-reducing and area-specific noise reduction technologies that allow the camera to produce amazingly detailed images and Full HD videos in all types of lighting conditions.

Pro-Quality Full HD Video Capture The new RX100 III model is equipped with a host of HD video capabilities to satisfy the most demanding enthusiasts.

The new compact is the first Cyber-shot model to offer high-resolution HD video recording in the XAVC S format, which allows for full HD recording at a data rate of 50 mbps with lower compression for improved video quality. Additionally, with the power of the BIONZ X processor, the camera is able to read, process and output data from all of the sensor’s pixels during video recording, ensuring that it produces the highest quality video possible by eliminating aliasing, moiré and false color artifacts.

Other video features include a ‘clear’ HDMI® output for reviewing footage on an external monitor, 120 fps recording at 720p HD resolution and zebra pattering on the LCD and built-in EVF. The camera also has dual video recording capability (XAVC S / AVCHD files4 along with MP4 files), which allows users to shoot a high bit-rate video for storage or editing purposes while also recording a lower bit rate video that’s optimized for sharing via Wi-Fi®.

The camera also has Intelligent Active Mode – another first for Cyber-shot RX series cameras – which utilizes Sony’s frame analysis technology and 5-axis compensation to dramatically reduce the effects of camera shake while shooting movies.

Camera Design, Customizability and Control Despite its small “pocketable” size, the new RX100 III features many opportunities to adjust common shooting settings, including a ‘Fn’ key, customizable control ring and a “C” custom button with more than 40 assignable functions.

New to the RX series, the RX100 III model features an articulated LCD that can tilt upward by about 180 degrees for self-portraits and all the way downward to approximately 45 degrees for high-angle shots. The camera also can output still images in 4K resolution6 with full wide-gamut TRILUMINOUS Color support when connected to compatible 4K televisions.

Wi-Fi® and PlayMemories™ The RX100 III camera has built-in Wi-Fi, giving consumers one-touch connection with Xperia® or NFC-compatible Android™ smartphones or tablets for instant image transfer and sharing. A single touch also activates Smart Remote Control, linking the camera with a smartphone or tablet for a live image preview, to fire the shutter from a distance and to review shots instantly.

For devices without NFC one-touch capabilities, users can wirelessly transfer images and videos and activate Smart Remote Control through Sony’s free PlayMemories Mobile™ application, available for the iOS and Android platforms.

The camera is also the first Cyber-shot RX series model to feature compatibility with Sony’s growing assortment of downloadable Sony PlayMemories Camera Apps, adding a range of exciting and creative capabilities. Learn more at www.sony.net/pmca.

Pricing and Availability The Cyber-shot RX100 III compact camera will be available in June for about $800. The camera and a range of compatible Cyber-shot accessories will be sold at all Sony retail stores (www.store.sony.com) and other authorized dealers nationwide.

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About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is a professional photographer based out of Denver, Colorado. He is the author and founder of Photography Life, along with a number of other online resources. Read more about Nasim here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

1) Mitch Gurowitz

May 22, 2014 at 10:55 am

For a guy who took delivery of 3 cameras in the last week, I never seem to be satisfied. (GH4, Demo NEX-6 and Fuji X-T1). I bought my RX 100 mkII only last summer as solution to a problem, that is while I’m a concert photographer and can often get proper credentials, I’m also an music enthusiast. So shooting the first 2-3 songs and being told to put my equipment away makes me very unhappy. As a musician, I understand that during the first few songs, the sweat is at a minimum, and if you wish to play the guitar you really want to play, rather than the one you signed the endorsement deal on, you can break it out on song number 4, but as a photographer, I find most of the interesting images come from the middle or the end of the show. So after a confrontation with my NEX with a large 210mm lens and a not so understanding event manager, I went on a quest to find the ultimate camera, one that looks like a point and shoot, one that has low noise at higher ISOs and one that has a decent optical zoom. Though I do have to crop a lot of shots, I’m able to use the RX100mkII for this camera fairly well (assuming that I’m close to the band, which usually is not a problem). This upgrade is a bit of a mystery to me, I think that it will be better at the noise levels, but the optical zoom is actually less than the previous model. That would make me do even further cropping. Not sure if this is an optimal upgrade for me, but if anyone else reads this and thinks they have a better solution to my guerrilla concert shooting needs, by all means, please let me know. As far as Sony is concerned, I would like at least a year to 18 months in-between model upgrades, give me a little time for the bank account to recover, please?

It is a very interesting “carry it everytime”camera for me. I would like that it has not so much pixels, but a 24-70 f/2.8 zoom is what I usually have mounted on my D700. I love the extra viewfinder too.

I just wish their 10 frames per second specification was for more than 1 second. On my current Sony’s, the buffer fills after 10 shots, so get 1 second worth of high frame per second shooting. Maybe this camera is different, but I doubt it.

I have the RX 100 mk I. I LOVE it as a shirt pocket camera, and recommend it highly. I have always wished it had a integrated viewfinder, and might trade up to the mk III if it were not for the lesser reach of the lens at both ends of the zoom. Wonder why they did that! I think that the high ISO ability of the mk I makes the f 2.8 of the mk III less gain than what is lost in zoom range.

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